Universal plug connector



Aug. 31, 1965 c. 1.. BAUER 3,204,213

UNIVERSAL PLUG CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 24, 1962 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,204,213 UNIVERSAL PLUG CONNECTOR Charles L. Bauer, Wheaten, Ill., assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 232,717 4'Claims. (Cl. 339-31) This invention relates generally to detachable connectors and more particularly to a plug connector for an appliance power cord which may be used with power receptacles of the type found in the United States and foreign countries.

In the various countries of the world there are many different types of electrical power receptacles in common use. The standard receptacle in the United States includes a pair of flat or rectangular terminal pin openings which are spaced approximately /2 apart. In England the terminal pin openings are round and are spaced about A" apart. The power receptacles on the continent have round terminal pin openings which .are generally smaller in diameter than those employed by the British and are spaced apart. This lack of standardization of the power receptacles used in countries throughout the world presents serious problems for a traveler who is interested in using a shaver, iron or other appliance in various countries through which he is traveling.

There are attachment kits available which include pins, plugs and couplings which may be assembled together to .adapt a conventional U.S. plug connector for use in other types of power receptacles referred to above. These attachment kits are undesirable from the standpoint of being bulky, complex and difficult to use. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a simple plug connector which would be immediately usable in any of the above described power receptacles without modification.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a detachable plug connector for a power cord which may be used in any standard power receptacle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal plug which is deformable to vary the spacing of the terminal pins so that they may be insertable into any electrical receptacle.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a deformable plug which may be squeezed in either of two directions to increase or decrease the spac ing of the terminal pins mounted thereon.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a plug connector embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the plug connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 assuming FIG. 3 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the plug connector shown in FIG. 1 in the undeformed condition;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are front elevational views similar to FIG. 5 but showing the plug connector in various deformed conditions, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

The connector of the instant invention includes a resilient plug or body member upon which is supported a pair of terminal pins extending in parallel spaced relation. By

applying pressure to the body portion of the plug connector, the spacing of the terminal pins may be increased or decreased to adapt them for insertion into any type of electrical receptacle.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a detachable plug connector generally designated by reference numeral 11. The connector 11 is provided with a body portion :12 which is molded of rubber or resilient plastic such as polyvinyl chloride. Supported by the plug or body member 12 by molding integrally therein are terminal pins 14 having contacting portions 14a extending outwardly therefrom. The terminal pins .14 are made of any suitable resilient electrically conducting material such as brass spring material. The contacting portion 14a is a folded length of strip material bowed outwardly between its outer end and the body member .12. The strip-forming contacting portion 14a has a curved outer surface as is best shown in FIG. 8 and, as a consequence, resembles a cylindrical type terminal pin.

The curved outer surface of the contacting portions 14a adapt the terminal pins to enter round terminal pin openings and obtain good electrical contact therein. In addition, the bowed shape of the contacting portions 14a may be flattened sufficiently so that the pins may be inserted into flat or rectangular type of terminal pin openings utilized in the United States.

Received within the body member 12 are connecting portions 14b of the terminal pins 14. A dual conductor power cord 16 is molded into the body member 12 at the end remote from the terminal pins 14. Each of the conductors in the dual conductor cord 16 is soldered or otherwise secured to one of the connecting portions 14b of the terminal pins -14.

To permit varying the spacing of the terminal pins 14, the body member 12 is formed with a recess 18 which extends length-wise between the connecting portions 14b of the terminal pins. The recess 18 is so formed to cause the terminal pins 14 to maintain their parallel relationship even when the plug or body member 12 is deformed. As may best be seen in FIG. 5, the resilient member 12 in its relaxed or undeformed condition defines the recess 18 which is substantially diamond shaped at the mouth of the recess. This diamond shape of the mouth of the recess may be altered by squeezing the plug to either move the terminal pins 14 together or farther apart. In FIG. 5, the terminal pins have a spacing of /8". In FIG. 6 the body member 12 has been compressed perpendicular to the plane including the terminal pins to move the terminal pins farther apart to a spacing of .750". In the deformed condition of the body member 12 as shown in FIG. 7, it has been compressed in the plane including the terminal pins 14 to move the pins toward each other to a spacing of .500".

It should be noted that not only does the resilient character of the body member permit the spacing of the terminal pins to be varied, but it also provides a biasing force which urges the contacting portions 14:: into good electrical conducting engagement with the conductors associated with any terminal pin openings.

While there has been illustrated and described a single preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the present invention. 'It is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A universal plug connector for use with any conventional power receptacles having round and flat terminal pin receiving openings comprising a resilient body member, a flexible conductor connected to said body member, a pair of terminal pins having bowed portions extending in spaced substantially parallel relation from said body member, said terminal pins including resilient connecting portions supported within said body member and connected to said conductor, said pins being insertable into round and flat terminal pin openings with the bowed portions being deformed urging them into good electrical conducting engagement with said openings, and an elongated recess formed in said body member extending centrally of said pins from the end of said body member from which said bowed portions extend to a point beyond the ends of said connecting portions, said connecting portions extending parallel from said bowed portions Within said body member on either side of said recess, said body member being deformable transversely of said recess to vary the spacing of said pins while maintaining their parallel relationship.

2. The universal plug connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said terminal pins are cylindrical sections in said bowed portions for good conducting engagement with round terminal pin openings.

3. The universal plug connector of claim 1 in which said body member is diamond shaped in section perpendicular to said terminal pins and deformable by squeezing opposite corners of said diamond to vary the spacing of said pins.

4. A universal plug connector for use with any conventional power receptacles having round and flat terminal pin receiving openings comprising a resilient body member, .a flexible conductor connected to said body member, a pair of terminal pins having bowed portions extending in spaced substantially parallel relation from said body member and connected to said conductor, said pins being insertable into round and fiat terminal pin openings with the bowed portions being deformed urging them into good electrical conducting engagement with said openings, and an elongated recess formed in said body member extending centrally of said pins, said body member and said elongated recess being diamond-shaped in section perpendicular to said terminal pins and said body member being deformable transversely of said recess by squeezing opposite corners of said diamond to vary the spacing of said pins while maintaining their parallel relationship.

References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,498 11/38 Geyer 339-62 2,747,167 5/56 Parrish 339252 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,012,702 4/ 52 France. 1,130,026 5/62 Germany.

624,05 3 5 49 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A UNIVERSAL PLUG CONNECTOR FOR USE WITH ANY CONVENTIONAL POWER RECEPTACLES HAVING ROUND AND FLAT TERMINAL PIN RECEIVING OPENINGS COMPRISING A RESILIENT BODY MEMBER, A FLEXIBLE CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER, A PAIR OF TERMINAL PINS HAVING BOWED PORTIONS EXTENDING IN SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION FROM SAID BODY MEMBER, SIAD TERMINAL PINS INCLUDING RESILIENT CONNECTING PORTIONS SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUCTOR, SAID PINS BEING INSERTABLE INTO ROUND AND FLAT TERMINAL PIN OPENINGS WITH THE BOWED PORTIONS BEING DEFORMED URGING THEM INTO GOOD ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPENINGS, AND AN ELONGATED RECESS FORMED IN SAID BODY MEMBER EXTENDANDING CENTRALLY OF SAID PINS FROM THE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER FROM WHICH SAID BOWED PORTIONS EXTEND TO A POINT BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS, SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS EXTENDING PARALLEL FROM SAID BOWED PORTIONS WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID RECESS, SAID BODY MEMBER BEING DEFORMABLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID RECESS TO VARY THE SPACING OF SAID PINS WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP. 